Quote of the day:

By Lee Russ

Wednesday, January 03, 2007 at 05:25 PM

Nobody questions the right of Congressman-elect Keith Ellison to practice any religion he likes, or none at all. The issue at hand is the rejection of the Bible during the swearing-in ceremony. Certainly, the republic will survive if Ellison follows through on his plans to reject the Bible. That is not the point. The reason for the Bible is simply to acknowledge that our rights as Americans and our Constitution are derived from Judeo-Christian values, whether you choose to practice them or not.

Mike DePalma, in a letter to the editor of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

[But Mr. DePalma, the swearing-in ceremony is not intended to acknowledge that.  There is no connection between being qualified to serve in the House, and being sworn in to so serve, and a need to acknowledge  what you view as the derivation of our rights as Americans. So what exactly is the complaint from you and Mr. Prager?  Not to mention the inconsistency between your acknowledgment that Mr. Ellison is free to "practice any religion he likes, or none at all," and insisting that he acknowledge that American rights are derived from Judeo-Christian values.  AND, if you want an acknowledgment that our rights are derived from JUDEO-Christian values, I assume Mr. Ellis could satisfy you by carrying the Torah to his ceremonial photo-op?]